Tennis Court Scheduling: Maximize Court Usage at Your Club

Time Slot Fundamentals

Most tennis clubs schedule courts in 60 or 90 minute blocks. Sixty-minute slots offer more flexibility and turnover, making them ideal for clubs with high demand and limited courts. Ninety-minute blocks give players enough time for a full warm-up, a competitive set or two, and a proper cool-down, which many members prefer for recreational singles and doubles.

Whichever duration you choose, build in a 10 to 15 minute buffer between bookings. This transition period prevents scheduling conflicts when matches run long and gives your maintenance team time to sweep courts, reposition nets, and check for hazards. Without buffers, your schedule will slowly drift throughout the day as each booking starts a few minutes late.

Prime Time Allocation

Prime time at most clubs falls between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM on weekdays and 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM on weekends. These are the hours when demand far exceeds supply, so managing them carefully is essential. Consider reserving a portion of prime-time slots for member-only booking and releasing the remainder to non-members or guests at a premium rate.

A tiered booking window helps distribute access fairly. Allow members to book prime-time courts up to seven days in advance, while non-members can book only 48 hours ahead. This gives your members first priority without completely locking out guests. Track utilization rates weekly, and adjust the balance if you see consistently empty slots or a growing waitlist.

• Weekday prime time: typically 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
• Weekend prime time: typically 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
• Member booking window: 7 days in advance
• Non-member booking window: 48 hours in advance

Balancing Lessons and Open Play

Lessons and clinics are important revenue drivers, but they should not consume so much court time that members struggle to find open play slots. A common guideline is to dedicate no more than 30 to 40 percent of total court hours to programmed instruction, leaving the majority for member reservations and walk-on play.

Schedule lessons during off-peak hours whenever possible. Weekday mornings and early afternoons are natural fits for private lessons, junior programs, and adult beginner clinics. Reserve prime-time courts primarily for member play, and limit evening lessons to one or two courts at most. This approach keeps your teaching pros busy during slower hours while protecting the high-demand slots your members value most.

League Night Blocks

League play is a cornerstone of competitive club culture, but it requires careful scheduling to avoid alienating non-league members. Designate specific nights for league matches, such as Tuesday and Thursday evenings for USTA league teams, and communicate these blocks well in advance. Members who do not participate in leagues need to know which evenings will have reduced availability.

If your club hosts multiple league teams, stagger their match nights to avoid monopolizing all courts on a single evening. For example, your men and women USTA teams could alternate Tuesday and Thursday nights, while an interclub doubles league takes Wednesday. Post the league calendar at the start of each season so all members can plan accordingly.

Maintenance Windows

Routine maintenance is easy to overlook when courts are in demand, but neglecting it leads to cracked surfaces, worn lines, and safety hazards that cost far more to repair later. Block out a regular maintenance window each week, typically two to four hours during a low-demand period like early Monday or Wednesday morning.

Hard courts need periodic pressure washing, crack filling, and line repainting. Clay courts require daily watering and rolling, plus line brushing after heavy play. Regardless of surface type, inspect nets, net posts, and windscreens weekly. Document your maintenance schedule and share it with members so they understand why certain courts are periodically unavailable.

Seasonal Schedule Shifts

Your court schedule should adapt to seasonal changes in daylight, weather, and demand. During summer months, extend evening hours to take advantage of longer daylight and consider adding early morning slots before the heat sets in. In winter, shift prime-time windows earlier as sunset moves up, and account for shorter overall operating hours at outdoor facilities.

Clubs with both indoor and outdoor courts face additional complexity. When outdoor courts close for the season, indoor demand spikes dramatically. Prepare for this shift by adjusting booking limits, extending indoor hours, and potentially raising indoor court fees to manage demand. Communicate schedule changes at least two weeks before each seasonal transition to give members time to adjust.

Booking Limits and Walk-On Policies

Booking limits prevent a small number of heavy users from monopolizing court time. A typical policy allows each member to hold one to two active reservations at a time, with new bookings available only after an existing reservation is played or cancelled. Some clubs also impose a daily limit, such as no more than two hours of booked court time per member per day during prime hours.

Walk-on policies fill gaps in the schedule and improve overall utilization. Allow members to claim any unreserved court on a first-come, first-served basis. Set a reasonable time limit for walk-on play, typically 60 minutes, so that courts rotate fairly when others are waiting. Display real-time court availability on a lobby screen or through your booking system so members can quickly see which courts are open.

• Limit members to 1 to 2 active reservations at a time
• Cap prime-time bookings at 2 hours per member per day
• Allow walk-on play on any unreserved court, limited to 60 minutes
• Display real-time availability on screens or through your booking platform
• Enforce a no-show policy with a 24-hour cancellation window